Oscar c



OSCAR C. FOX', OF GEORGETOWN, DISTRICT OF CLUMBIA.

Letters Patent 1Y0. 72,183, dated December 17, 1867.

i iurnovnneurin 'Draven Wants.l

tige rigrtnlereferrrh tu in tigrse @battus atent mit mating part nf tige smite,

T0 ALL IVHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

' Be it known that I, SCAR C. FOX', ci' Georgetown, Washington county, and District of Columbia, have invented anew and improved Filter for Tubular Wells; and I do hereby-declare that the following is a full and i exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to 'the letters of reference marked thereon. p l i l Hi'therto a serious obstacle has presented itself where tubular wells were to be sunk in fine -gravel and quiclisand, tovwit, the ditliculty in presenting a large amount of available surface of screen to the body of water to be filtered from the sand, so that the water could literally soak or iilter through into the tube of the Well to supply the pump above; also,` in so arranging the partsithat the screen used is rmly located and protected from injury or wear by the action of the Water or the earth upon it.

4The nature of my invention consists in constructing a filter of inc .wire cloth, so arranged and supported by wire cloth of a coarser texture, that the Water has free ingress through every portion of its surface, and, what is very important, the finest and most delicate fabric of' wire gauze can bc employed, if necessary, with entire firmness and durability. l l

To enable others skilled in the art to makeiand use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. p

A represents a coil or cylinder of tine Wire gauze,-and is supported by the concentric cylinders N and P, composed of coarse wire cloth, of four and sixteen meshes to the inch, respectively, the coil A being sixty meshes to the inch, or finer. For a heavier coil I use Nos. 4, 8, 16, 30, and 60, or finer, or as near these numbers as practicable, and I sometimes protect the wire gauze further by an exterior coil of No. 8 wire cloth. `When this cylinder of woven wire has been formed proper-ly upon'airound banthen drawn oii, itwill be firmk and unyielding like a solid metallic tube, and capable of sustaining a heavy pressure; and the pulsations of` the Water, resulting from the pump'istroke, cannot fret or Wear'through the fine wire gauze, as in cases where itis imperfectly supported by a spiral wire'or spring, or similar device. B represents a common iron or other metal tubefnto which the cylinder of wire cloth'or the filter-tube is introduced. C is a'drill-shaped point, rmly attached to the filter-tube, and is intended to remain stationary in the earth while the tube B is drawn up, thus exposing the wire gauze A to contact with the sand and water. K rcpresentsa small hole plugged with u. roll of wire gauze, and communicating with the inside of the tube. I-pour in small quantities of water occasionally from `the top of the tube, and this outlet K 'permitsv the water to escape gradually, and as thedrilbpoiut is rotated (in dry hard clay especially) the m'oisture softens the soil, aid'rcnders it .easy of penetration. i .The hole, ,it will be perceived, islccated in the rear of the advancing edge of the point as it turns, thus keeping clear 'of sund f and obstructions.

It has been found, where a spiral or other devices have been employed tosupport the tineiwire cloth, that avery fine quality of wire cloth could not be employed, and that in a. short time the wirecloth used is worn through, and rendered uselessby coming in contact with the' outer and inner supports, and being subject, com stantly, to the intermittent action ofthe water. All these troubles my improvement is intended to remove, and' to present the greatest areafof Wire screen to the direct action of the water, Kas it will be perceived that I can draw up the tube B to the distance of twenty inches or two feet, or any'distance, according to tllel'ength of the ilter-tube, and still, the wire gauze being supported at every' point, is iii-m, and like a solid metallimtube.

I employ,for the supporting fabric, galvanized iron, and for the fine fabric brass ox tinned material. For the well-tube I use wrought-ironrpipe. The filter-tube may be attached to the point C'by screwing it on to a rod projecting upwards, and previously` Welded in Withthe point, the coil having been alsoprovided with a socket, soldered or otherwise made fast into the lower end, or a cast or malleable-iron pointmay be used, upon.

which a neck is turned which lits up into the lower end of the well-tube, and to the top of which the Jlter-tube is attached. At M is shown a pin or projection, which lits into the slo't at I, holding the point C to its position, tit-ting, as it does, closely to the Atube B, until the desired depth is reached, when the tube B is turned backwards slightly, detached from the point, and drawn up, to expose the filter-tube to the'water and earthas seen in the gure. The tube is kept from 'entirely leaving the wire clothA by a thin ring or projection, L, which enga-ges with another ring attached to the upper end of the coil Ai In constructing a well in soft, easy-soil, I use a common iron pipe, of one or one anda -fourth inch bore, driving it into the earth with a Sledge, or by any convenient method; but when -the soil is hard, und the' water i at a considerable depth, I'employ a solid rod of iron, which I nally withdraw, and insert the pipe to which the vpump is attached.. In hard soil, to facilitate the sinking, I employ weights, which I load on lto :1. hammock er platform, attached to the pipe by aset Yof chains, andA a sliding socket, the latter being furnished with set-screws or some device, so that it can be made fast tov any point on the pipe. Thus when the pipe, so loaded; is turned' in the ground, this weight tends to force the p'ointof the pipeinto the'earthlike a drill. Forturning the pipe Iusc a. large pair of vpipe-tongs, with a long ,handle attached, and-it will be found of advantage to give the pipe a rotary motion, in all cases, whatever method of sinking may be adopted, the in ost common inode being to drive and rotate 'at the same time', or alternately, at short intervals, especially when thesolid rod is employed.

I am aware that wire gauze hns been used es a ltcring medium in well-tubes, and that tubes so provided have been formed of strong perpendicular wires or rods. By my invention the tube is formed of woven wire, strong enough to resist the vertical and lateral pressure to which it may be exposed. Yet from the strength imparted by the transverse wires and their interlaeing, greater eiliciency may be obtained from lighter materials, and I ap'ply wire gauze as a. filter inside or outside of this coarse and strong woven-wire tube.

v Having described mlyinvention, what I claim, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A well-tubeconstructed whilly of woven wire of different textures, as shown, combined and arranged with a drillpoint, having a drip through its body, all substantiallyasand for the purposes described.

' l OSCAR C. FOX.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAMPBELL, L. C. CAMPBELL. 

